Things to do during the longest winter since the Ice Age.

Is it me or does this winter feel like it has been three winters long?

Suddenly the balmy heat of Port-au-Prince doesn’t seem so bad!

It’s been a crazy-busy year so far and yet it feels we’re just getting started. So much on the go. So much coming up. It’s exciting. It’s intimidating. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So far the New Year has meant new partnerships and new teams.

After Dr. Barter’s successful rural trip last year, there’s now a second team in Haiti with Haiti Village Health. This is an amazing development as we start to grow our mission throughout the country. More reach means more people receive badly needed medical attention.

Speaking of teams, our roster continues to grow. We’ve got a Vancouver team ready to go in the spring and an Ottawa team planning a trip for later in the year. This is the momentum we all want. More people getting involved means we do so much more for the people of Haiti.

How does it all play out? Well, I love the way our March mission is working out. The Newfoundland team will start with a trip at the end of the month. We then hand things over to our Halifax team for their mission. The Halifax teams then gives the puck to a specialized Calgary team that’ll handle tendon transfers specifically. Then the team from Vancouver in May. Four teams working a quasi relay race of medical attention. I love it.

The last few months have also meant a lot of speaking engagements and interviews to continue getting the word out on what Broken Earth is doing and wants to do in Haiti. The media has been so supportive of Broken Earth and we’ve had amazing write-ups in Halifax and Calgary, which are bringing nation-wide coverage of our endeavor. In fact, on our next mission to Haiti we will be bringing the CBC’s Anthony Germain. He’s been a great supporter of our work and I’m hoping this trip will give him a first-hand look as to why we are all driven to go back, again and again.

In Haiti, we are set to launch our first formal education course in May with approval of the location and partnerships with Haiti’s residency programs. It will be an amazing event with orthopedic surgeons from across the country waving the Team Broken earth flag!

Well, it’s only March. Just a couple of weeks away from the next trip. It’s funny how time just races by when you need it most. Lots of planning to do. You’ve all probably seen the announcement for Rock Op 2014. Gonna be another amazing event and I want to see ALL of you there! The Once will take the stage and where else can you taste the talents of the best chefs in the city all under one roof?!

Speaking of fundraising, we’ve been getting a lot of support from some truly amazing people. Dedicated nurses organizing everything from pubs nights to fitness events. Every bit counts!

In the meantime, the Ted X talk that Dr. Bridger and I gave is now online for all to view. To be honest, I haven’t been able to watch it yet… it’s just too strange to watch yourself! That being said I am scheduled to speak for what seems like 100 times over the next few months as the Honorary chair of Volunteer week. I am super excited about it and looking forward to spreading the Broken Earth story to all of the other exceptional volunteers in Newfoundland and Labrador.

You can check out the TEDx video here…

Take care and make sure to get your Rock Op tickets early! If the last two years are any example, it’ll sell out quick!